Improvement in rods of punching presses



@auch tant @anni @ffice IMPROVEMENT IN RODS OF PUNGHING PRESSES.

SPECIFICATION- TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, lJOSEPHW. C. CRATE, of Waterbury, in the county of New Haven, and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Presses, and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptio'n thereof, which will enable4 others skilled inthe art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming partof this'speciflcation:

The drawing represents a vertical central section of the'portion of a press to which my improvement is applied.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in that class of presses which are'employed for punching, closing metal articles, tc., lit-c., and which are composed of a reciprocating rod or shaft operated by a crank or eccentric.

The object of the invention is to compensate for the variation in the thickness of the articles 'to be operated upon, so that in case a thicker piece of metal than usual is inserted underthe punch or ,die attached to the reciprocating rod or shaft, the machine will not be strained or'injured any way by a restriction ofthe full throw of the crank or eccentric, a contingency of frequent occurrence in using the ordinary presses.

A represents the rod or shaft of the press, which has a reciprocating movement -:given it by means of a crank, eccentric, or other suitable means. To the lower end of A the punch or die is'secured. I

This rod or shaft is composed of two parts, a, b. The upper 'end of the lower part, b, has a hole, e, made vertically into it, and provided with an internal screw thread to receive a screw'on a rod, B, which has a collar, C, keyed upon it above the screw.

4The upper part of Ithe rod, B, has a groove-or recess, d, made circumferentially in it, and this upper part ts in a hole, d, made centrally in the`lower end of the upper part, a, of the rod or shaft, a screw, D, passing horizontally into a, and having its inner end fitting in'the recess, d, of rod B, and connecting the two parts, a, b, of the rod or shaft A, as clearly shown in the drawing. i i

On the rod, B, between the collar, C, and the lower end of a, there is fitted a spring, E, of India rubber or other suitable material. This spring, it will be seen, forms an elastic connection between two parts,'a, b, of the rod or shaft, A, and in case a piece of metal thicker than usual is placed under the punch or. die at the lower end of said rod or shaft which would prevent the crank or eccentric, which operates .the rod or shaft, from making a complete throw if the latter were rigid, the spring, E, will give or yield and admit of the crank or eccentric operating perfectly, withoutstraining any of. the working parts of the machine, or injuring the work. i i

The groove or recess, d, in the rod, B, is suciently long to admit of the upper part, a, of the rod or shaft, A, having sucient play or movement-to effect the result described. Thus any variation in the thickness -of the metal to be punched or .otherwise operated upon is compensated for; and for operating vupon diierent articles which vary materially in thickness, .the rod or shaft, A, may be lengthened or shortened by screwing rod B out from the part b, or screwing it further into the same, and placing a collar, C, of the requisite thickness on B. This varying the length ofl the rod or shaft, however, is old and now in use, the rod or shaft being ladjusted to the proper length every time different-sized articles, or those varying in thickness designedly, are

to be operated upon. But all articles, when designed to be of a uniform thickness, will vary more or less, and my improvement eifectually prevents any inconvenienceor embarrassment attending that variation.

Having thus described my invention, Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The shaft A, in combination with the screw rod B, and spring E, constructed, arranged, and operated' substantially as described.

The above specification of my invention signed by me this 21st day of February, 1866.

' JOSEPH V; C. CRATE. Witnesses:

-NnLsoN J. WELTON, Josemi B. SPENCER. 

